Electrical connecter



1934- H. A. DOUGLAS I ELECTRICAL CONNECTER Filed March 19, 1932 Patented Jan. 16, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to electrical connecters and is of particular utility in connection with the type of connecters generally known as snap terminals.

Among other objects the invention aims to' provide an improved and economical line connection for current conducting wires.

-One important object of the invention is to provide a two-way line connection and the invention desirably provides improved and economical means for mounting a plurality of such two-way line connections, for example, for automotive vehicles.

The invention may be understood by reference to the illustrative embodiment thereof shown in the accompanying drawing in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a structure embodying my invention and being a section taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 2;

Figure 2is a cross-section taken on the line t2-2 of Figure 1, parts being shown in elevaion;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of members embodying my invention in separated relation;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a preferred form of insulating block included in my invention; and

Figure 5 is a schematic view of one embodielectrical line connection for current conducting wires, such as the conventional stranded wire 3 having the usual insulation 4 thereon.

The member. 1 is desirably formed of sheet metal such as brass and has an interengaging portion 5 which is somewhat triangular in crosssection and has the resilient sides 6. The member 2 is formed similarly to the member 1 and has the interengaging portion 7 which is also somewhat triangular in cross-section and has the resilient sides 8. The portion '7 of the member 2 is adapted to telescope within the portion 5 of the member 1 and to facilitate such relation the portion '7 of the member 2 is symmetrical with the portion 5 of the member 1, but is slightly smaller in cross-section to be snugly received therein. The resiliency of the sides 8 enhances the snugness of interengagement of the members and to cause them to desirably interengage with a snap action, I provide registering indentations in the interengaging portions 5 and 7, such as the indentations 9. To further insure snap action, I may provide an additional indentation such as the indentation 10 on the member 1 which afiords an internal boss 11 which registers. with an indentation, such as the transverse groove 12 in the member 2. To facilitate the 0 registry of the boss 11 with the groove 12, may provide a cam portion 13 on the inner tel scoping member 2 over which the boss 11 rides, a shoulder 14 occurring between the cam portion 13 and the groove 12 which yieldingly resists withdrawal of the inner telescoping member 2 from the outer telescoping member 1. By pulling firmly upon the wire 3 attached to the member 2,

.for example, the members may be separated when desired.

When my invention is inclusive of a two-way line connection, I provide a third member 15 of similar material as the members 1 and 2 which-is also adapted to have interengaging relation with one of the members 1 or 2, in this instance the member 1 and for this purpose I have shown the member 15 as having an interengaging portion 16 of somewhat V-shape and-having resilient sides 17 complementary to the portions 5 and 7. The portion 16 may have interengaging relation with the portion 5 of the member 1 as by having its sides 17 somewhat symmetrical with the sides 6 of the portion 5 and receiving the sides 6 therebetween in inverted partially telescoping relationship, as best shown in Figure 2. To provide a desirable snap action between the members 1 and 15, I may place indentations 9 in the sides 1'? corresponding to the indentations 9 in the members 1 and 2 and registering therewith as best shown in Figure l.

To maintain the member 15 in interengaging relation with the member 1, my invention desirably includes an insulating block 18 formed for example of molded Bakelite, which has a somewhat closedV-shape or triangular bore 19 therethrough which telescopically receives the interengaging portionsof the members 1, 2 and 15, the portion 16 of the member 15 being maintained in interengagement with the portion 5 of the member 1 by the wall of the bore 19 and be- 1 ing desirably wedged between this wall and the portion 5. Since the bore 19 is somewhat V- shape, it affords an apex 20 and-inclined surfaces 21 at each side of the apex 20 which are symmetrical with and snugly receive the sides 17 105 of the interengaging portion 16 of the member 15. This portion 16 may be first placed in the bore 19 Bil i in the manner just pointed out and next the por-.

tion 5 of the member 1 slid into the bore 19in inverted and partial telescoping relation with the 119 portion 16 of the member 15. The portions 5 and 16 are thus wedged between each other and the wall of the bore 19. The portion ,'7 of the member 2 is next telescoped within the portion 5 of the member 1 as already explained and the portion 7 tends to expand the resilient sides 6 of the member 5 and to cause these to press against the sides 17 of the portion 16, thus further wedging the interengaging portions in the bore 19 and providing a secure but yielding association of the members 1, 2 and 15 with each other and with the insulating block 18.

To desirably prevent longitudinal movement of the member 15 in the insulating block, I may form shoulders 22 and 23 at each end of the portion 16 which abut the ends of the block 18 when the portion 16 is wedged against the wall of the bore 19 as described.

There may advantageously be a plurality of the bores 19 in the insulating block 18 to accommodate a plurality of groups of the members 1, 2 and 15. As illustrated in the drawing there are two such bores receiving two such groups of members and the two bores 19 are here shown in inverted relationship, so that the block 18 may be of wedge formation at each side as indicated at 24 to be mounted in a spring clip 25 having the resilient sides 26 each of which has a cam formation 27 which snap over the wedge shape sides 24 of the block 18, the block being inserted in the clip by a lateral movement. To prevent longitudinal movement of the clip in the block, lateral movement therefrom being prevented by the spring character of the clip, I may place shoulders '28 at each end of the clip to abut the sides 26 of the clip, these sides being cut away as at 29 to fit snugly between the shoulders 28.

The clip 25 with the block 18 therein may in turn be mounted on the frame 30 of an automotive vehicle, for example, by means of the bolt 31 and clamping nut 32.

I When my invention is employed in association with the lighting circuit of an automotive vehicle, as schematically shown in Figure 5, a pair of the members 1 and 15 may constitute the terminals for insulated wires 33 and 34 which lead to the grounded filaments 35 of the head lamps 36. The filaments 35 may constitute the intermediate driving lights of the vehicle as by being located above the focus of the lamps 36. Another pair of the members 1 and 15 may constitute the terminals of insulated wires 37 and 38, respectively, which lead to the grounded filaments 39 of the head lamps 36. The filaments 39 may constitute the normal driving lights of the vehicle as by being located in the focus of the lamps 36. The members 2, one of which is connected with each of the pairs of members 1 and 15 may constitute the terminals of two wires 40 and 41 which lead to a switch 42, which is shown connected to one side of a source of current, such as the grounded battery 43. By means of a movable contact arm 44 of the switch 42 either the wire 40 or 41 may be placed in circuit with the battery and thus either the intermediate driving lights 35 or normal driving lights 39 of the vehicle may be energized.

The members 1, 2 and 15 may be connected with their respective wires 3 as by having portions 45 at one end which may be first formed into U-shape, as best shown in Figure 3, and later bent to cylindrical shape around the insulation 4 of the wires, as shown in Figure 2, a reduced portion 46 of the members adjacent the portions 45 being also shaped to somewhat cylindrical form to have snugly received and soldered therein the bared end 47 of the wires 3.

Obviously, the invention is not limited to precise details of construction here shown for purposes of illustration. Furthermore, it is not in-' dispensable that all features of the invention be used conjointly as various combinations and subcombinations may be advantageously employed.

Having described an embodiment of my invention, I claim:

1. In an electrical connecter, the combination of an insulating block having a bore therein and two symmetrical telescoping metallic members received in said bore, and a third metallic member complementary in form to the first two members and wedged between one of said telescoping members and the wall of saidbore.

2. In an electrical connecter, the combination of an insulating block having a bore therein, two

symmetrical telescoping triangular members rethere is a cam surface on one of said members upon which an indentation on the other member rides.

4. The structure of claim 2 wherein the third member is of V-shape and has inverted partially telescoping relation with the outer of said telescoping members.

5. The structure of claim 2 wherein the third member carries two stops abutting the insulating block at each end to prevent longitudinal movement of the member in the block when so wedged.

6. In an electrical connecter, the combination of an insulating block having a generally V-shape bore therein and telescoping triangular sheet metal members telescopically received in said bore, a third generally V-shape sheet metal member wedged between the outer of said telescoping members and the wall of said bore, and interengaging indentations on the three members including a transverse groove in one member into which an indented portion of one of the other members is received with a snap action.

1. In a two-way electrical conductor, the combination of an insulating block having a triangular bore therein; of three sheet metal members having resilient portions telescopically received in said bore, two of said members being substantially triangularly symmetrical in form and in telescoping relation and the third member being of complementary V-shape to partially telescopically receive the other two members, the outer of the two telescoping members and the third member serving each to reciprocally wedge the other in the bore; wire receiving portions at the opposite end of the members, two of said wire receiving portions extending in the same direction and the other wire receiving portion extending in the opposite direction, one of said similarly extending wire receiving portions being laterally offset from its resilient portion to be abreast but spaced from the adjacent similarly extending wire receiving portion.

HARRY A. DOUGLAS. 

